“Derek came to training camp this year on a two-way contract and played his way into our starting line-up,” said Flames General Manager Jay Feaster. “When Mark Giordano went down with his hamstring injury, Smitty stepped-up and shouldered an increased workload and did so in excellent fashion. Up until the time of his injury he was one of our best and most consistent defencemen. He is a sound two-way hockey player with very good hockey sense, and he has seamlessly fit into the chemistry of our team. We are very pleased to have him signed for the next two-seasons, and we look forward to his continued development as a player.”

Smith originally signed as a free agent with the Flames on July 13, 2011. In 32 games prior to suffering a high ankle sprain this season, Smith recorded 2 goals and 8 assists. He joined the Flames organization fresh off a championship season in the American Hockey League with the Binghamton Senators who captured the 2011 Calder Cup. During 71 regular season games last year, Smith scored 10 goals and added 44 assists for 54 points which placed him 4th among all defenceman in the AHL.